Hanging Out In Boston

We're excited that you're joining us for our wedding! If you want to make a trip of it, there are lots of fun things to do in the Boston area. Below are just a few of them.

Many thanks to Rachel's friend Dina for letting her copy all this info from Dina's own wedding website.

MUSEUMS

Museum of Fine Arts
The original MFA opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876, the nation's centennial. Built in Copley Square, the MFA was then home to 5,600 works of art. Over the next several years, the collection and number of visitors grew exponentially, and in 1909 the Museum moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue.
Today the MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world; the collection encompasses nearly 450,000 works of art. We welcome more than one million visitors each year to experience art from ancient Egyptian to contemporary, special exhibitions, and innovative educational programs.
(Text is from the MFA Website)Museum of Science The mission of the Museum of Science, Boston is to stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society.
To accomplish this educational mission, the staff, volunteers, overseers, and trustees of the Museum are dedicated to attracting the broadest possible spectrum of participants and involving them in activities, exhibits, and programs which will:

encourage curiosity, questioning and exploration,

inform and educate,

enhance a sense of personal achievement in learning,

respect individual interests, backgrounds and abilities, and

promote life-long learning and informed and active citizenship.

All this is offered in the spirit that learning is exciting and fun at the Museum of Science.
(Text is from the MoS Website)New England AcquariumDive into the world of water without getting wet at the New England Aquarium. Explore vibrant coral reefs, from the Bahamas and the tropical Pacific to temperate Australia. Meet the lionfish and the stonefish, some of the most poisonous fishes in the sea. Discover how the Aquarium collects these specimens at the Bahamas Collecting Trip Blog, introduce yourself to the harbor seals, and don’t forget to say hello to Myrtle, the green sea turtle.
(Text is from the NEAQ Website)Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is at once an intimate collection of fine and decorative art and a vibrant, innovative venue for contemporary artists, musicians and scholars. Housed in a stunning 15th-century Venetian-style palace with three stories of galleries surrounding a sun- and flower-filled courtyard, the Museum provides an unusual backdrop for the viewing of art. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's preeminent collection contains more than 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books and decorative arts. The galleries house works by some of the most recognized artists in the world, including Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler and Sargent. The spirit of the architecture, the personal character of the arrangements and the artistic display of the enchanting courtyard in full bloom all create an atmosphere that distinguishes the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as an intimate and culturally-rich treasure.John F Kennedy Library The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to the memory of our nation's thirty-fifth president and to all those who through the art of politics seek a new and better world. Located on a ten-acre park, overlooking the sea that he loved and the city that launched him to greatness, the Library stands as a vibrant tribute to the life and times of John F. Kennedy. Come tour our Museum which portrays the life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy, conveys his enthusiasm for politics and public service, and illustrates the nature of the office of the President. Students and scholars can also arrange to conduct research using our collection of historical materials chronicling mid-20th century politics and the life and administration of John F. Kennedy.
(Text is from the JFL Library Website)Institute of Contemporary Art The Institute of Contemporary Art strives to share the pleasures of reflection, inspiration, provocation, and imagination that contemporary art offers through public access to art, artists, and the creative process.
The primary activities of the ICA are threefold:
• To present outstanding contemporary art in all media, including visual art
exhibitions, music, film, video and performance, that is deserving of public
attention and has not been presented in depth to Boston audiences
• To provide innovative experiential learning opportunities for people of all ages
through direct encounters with artists and art making
• To design interpretative programs that provide context, develop appreciation,
and add meaning to contemporary art and culture.
(Text from ICA Website)Harvard Museum of Natural History The Harvard Museum of Natural History was established in 1998 as the public face of three research museums: the Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Harvard University Herbaria, and the Mineralogical and Geological Museum. Presenting the incomparable collections of these parent museums and the research of scientists across the University, it has a mission to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the human place in it, sparking curiosity and a spirit of discovery in people of all ages.
(Text from Harvard Museum Website)Bunker Hill Monument The Bunker Hill Monument stands 221 feet tall at Breed's Hill, the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution fought on June 17, 1775. Control of this high ground near the harbor was important to the British occupation of Boston. When colonial forces chose to fortify Charlestown, they bypassed the more dominant "Bunker Hill" and dug in on Breed's Hill which was lower and closer to the water.
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" is the legendary order attributed to Colonel William Prescott to make sure that each shot would count. The poorly trained and ill prepared colonial forces repelled two major assaults by the British Army before retreating. Almost half of the British soldiers were either killed or injured. Although the colonists lost the battle, their bravery and strong showing against the British encouraged them to fight on.
Visit the Bunker Hill Monument and climb the 294 steps that lead to the pinnacle. There are no elevators in the monument; however, the amazing vista at the end of the journey is well worth it.
(Text from City of Boston Website)PARKSBoston CommonThe starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. The park is almost 50 acres in size.
Today, Boston Common is the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks that winds through many of Boston's neighborhoods.

The "Common" has been used for many different purposes throughout its long history. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common, and until 1817, public hangings took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775.
Celebrities, including Martin Luther King Jr., Pope John Paul II, and Gloria Steinem (advocate of the feminist revolution), have given speeches at the Common.The EsplanadeThe Esplanade is one of Boston’s best loved and most intensively used open spaces. It is part of a linear park system that stretches along the Charles River for miles but also has a distinct identity of its own. For the purpose of this report, the Esplanade encompasses the Boston side of the Charles River Reservation from the Charles River Dam on the east to the Boston University Bridge on the west. It is bounded by the Charles River on the north and Storrow Drive on the south.
The Esplanade as we know it today is a relatively recent creation. Filling of Boston’s Back Bay occurred during the second half of the nineteenth century, with Back Street and the adjacent seawall forming most of the northern edge by the 1870s. At that time the river was still tidal and was considered a distinct liability because it was so foul smelling. Damming of the Charles River basin in 1910 changed the odiferous mud flats into a wide basin with a constant water level. Initially there was only a narrow strip of parkland. The area was transformed again in the 1930s by landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff with the parkland nearly doubled. This was the foundation of the park as we know it today. Construction of Storrow Drive in the early 1950s brought further changes and the creation of additional parkland using fill from tunnel construction. Also in the 1950s additional recreational facilities were constructed in the eastern end of the Esplanade.Fenway ParkHome of the Red Sox. One of the oldest baseball stadiums still in use today. We're hoping they're still playing baseball in October 2012!

OTHERNewbury StEight blocks filled with salons, boutiques, and fabulous dining.
The street's origins begin under water. Until the mid 1800s, the 2 mile long stretch of what is now Newbury Street was part of Boston Harbor. Beginning in 1857, the harbor was slowly filled in to become the Back Bay section of the city. The dirt and fill came from neighboring communities and the crests of Boston's once substantially higher hilltops. Walking west, away from the Common, is a walk forward in time. The area was filled to Claredon St. by 1860, to Exeter St. by 1870 and was completed in 1882. Virtually all of the buildings were built around the same time and the neighborhood utilized European design elements, including wide boulevards, grid patterns and parkways. Originally a residential neighborhood, it was prestigious and exclusive at its very inception. According to museum director Edward W. Gordon, "By the 1880s and 1890s, it was the most desirable place to live in the city and was, in fact, eclipsing Beacon Hill. The houses were bigger and they had all the latest amenities - indoor plumbing and coal-burning furnaces."
The coal furnaces may no longer remain, but the structure laid out in the 19th century lasts to this day and continues to influence the feel of the street. Cultural and retail uses have now surpassed the original residential design, providing the basis for its 20th and 21st century fame. The beginnings of Newbury Street as a retail and tourist destination are a little harder to pin down, although the street has clearly been a mecca for many decades. The street has taken on a life and meaning far beyond its architectural design. Known as the "Rodeo Drive of the East," it serves as Boston's representative of fashion and style, on par with the most exclusive districts of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. The street is home to an eclectic mix of independent shops and high-end fashion and dining establishments. In some fields, the street reigns absolutely supreme. For those in the city's salon and hair style industry, there is no other location. As one stylist and salon owner declared, "You go off Newbury Street and you're a second-class citizen".
(From the Newbury Street Association Website)Old Town Trolley ToursThe trolley tours are a classic Boston tourist thing to do. Despite that, they ARE a good way to get to see a lot of the town in a somewhat guided way. Apparently it stops at: the New England Aquarium, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Old State House, the Historic North End (Boston’s “Little Italy”), USS Constitution, the Bunker Hill Monument, Beacon Hill, the Bull & Finch Pub (“Cheers), M.I.T., Newbury Street, Chinatown, the Theater District and much, much, more. It's a hop-on-hop-off kind of thing, so you get off when and where you want and then more "trolleys" come throughout the day and you can do it all at your own pace. Click the link for ticket info. Also, Lee is doing his best to hold his tounge and not tell you why these are, in fact, not trolleys.

Freedom Trail(North End and Downtown)Due to its size, Boston is a very accessible city, but it may be that its reputation as a walking city relies on the creation of one of America’s first historic walking tours, The Freedom Trail. The trail takes you to many historical sites (The Boston Common, The State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel King’ Chapel Burying Ground, Benjamin Franklin Statue/Boston Latin School, Old Corner Book Store, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, The Old North Church, Copp’ Hill Burying Ground, USS Constitution — “Old Ironsides” & USS Constitution Museum, Bunker Hill Monument) in the course of two or three hours and covers two and a half centuries of America’s most significant past. A red brick or painted line connects the sites on the Trail and serves as a guide. Since the past and the present live alongside the Trail, its visitors have the opportunity to see the City as it truly is. (Text is from the Freedom Trail Website)